March 3, 2015

Time and time again I see 3 big mistakes that business owners make that keep them from growing their businesses, quickly and with ease.

I also have a special invitation for you to help you turn these mistakes into building blocks toward growing your business, so be sure to read this email all the way through…

Okay, here goes…

Mistake #1: Not having a clear niche or target market

There are many things you’re good at. You have a lot of skills. You have passion! And yet, when someone asks you “What do you do?” do you stumble to find the right words? Or maybe you find yourself rambling on until you can see their eyes glaze over and watch as they walk away, even more confused.

Mistake #2: Getting distracted by BSO’s (bright shiny objects)

As an entrepreneur you’re a creative and you have a lot of ideas. Your mind never stops and it sees “opportunities” everywhere you look. That’s what makes you a great entrepreneur. But it can also be your biggest downfall if it’s not managed.

Mistake #3: Not taking the right kind of consistent action

You’re busy, very busy. But are you taking action on the right kinds of things, those that net you real results? Or are you running around frantically, doing a myriad of things hoping something works?

It’s time for you to stop making these mistakes and start living what you came here to do and be. It’s time you figured out a better way to create a flow of clients who really get you and what you offer.

And it’s time you had more time to live life, you know, the one you had in mind when you started your business? Yeah, that one! 😉

How to speak in a language that prompts people to say “I want to work with you!”

An intuitive process to shift from confusion to clarity and decisiveness (so that you can hone in on your niche once and for all)

A tool for more clearly identifying where to focus your time and energy to net you more clients and income

The #1 secret to sparking people to seek you out

The biggest block to getting prospective clients to say “yes” to you

This webinar will be filled with new material as well as proven resources that will help you discover radical results for your business. I’ll take you through my 5-step formula for defining your own ideal client so that you can have a blueprint to refer to when crafting your marketing, your products and services and your enrollment conversations.

P.S. Your ideal clients need what you have to offer. They’re waiting for you to show up. Join me for this Free Webinar and get the support you need to get clear and attract your ideal clients now. Get more details HERE

February 26, 2015

Oh, that infamous financial and client rollercoaster. It’s the one thing all entrepreneurs have experienced at one point or another. But it can feel like you’re the only one on it, because let’s face it, no one likes to admit it or talk about it.

If you’ve been in business for awhile, it can sometimes feel like feast or famine. You might have periods where you have more clients than you can handle and then “poof”, the bottom falls out and you’re left wondering where the heck everyone went!

Two things are key: focus and consistency.

FOCUS:

Do you even know what marketing activities give you the biggest return? Have you measured it? There’s always going to be some expert out there who’s going to tell you that speaking at events is the answer. Another will tell you it’s having a BLOG.

But not everyone is a speaker. Some people are good writers but not speakers. Some are neither and do best when they’re out schmoozing at a network event. Start by focusing on the activities that you’ve found bring you clients. Work that down to a science, then add another activity to see how that does for you.

CONSISTENCY:

It’s easy when you get busy to slack off of your marketing activities. You market like crazy, get busy and don’t market, and then once you’ve completed your current projects you look around and, alas, no clients!

As hard as it can be, continuing your marketing, even if it means you slow down the frequency but still keep it going, will make a difference in how steep those dips are.

But there’s an even more important key I haven’t mentioned yet: that’s being able to effectively attract the right client to you in the first place.

Join me in my Free Webinar on March 5th at 1:30pm Pacific:

Client Magnetism: 3 Keys to Attracting Your Ideal Clients Like Magic!

It’s time you get the support and tools you need to unlock your business potential and unlimited income!

February 25, 2015

Are you frustrated with the growth of your business?

Do you sometimes wonder if you’ll EVER be at the point where you’ll feel you can relax a little?

Do you find yourself trying one expert’s business system or solution after another hoping that maybe this one will be the one that works? There’s Facebook, LinkedIn, network luncheons, a BLOG, a website – AAGHH! The list goes on and on, doesn’t it?

Then there’s that underlying sense of urgency to create clients and income – and quick would be really nice!

It’s no wonder so many entrepreneurs feel stressed.

Here’s the deal:

When you’re operating from a place of frustration or urgency, you’re operating and running your business from a place of fear. Nothing good comes from that place. Just stress.

You wanna know the real secret? The secret is getting crystal clear about your gifts to the world and knowing your ideal client like the back of your hand. It’s when you know what they “look” like, the language they use and the symptoms (i.e. challenges) that your ideal client deals with. When you know that, I mean REALLY KNOW that, AND you can clearly show them how what you offer is the answer to their problems, then you’ll draw clients to you like magic.

Not only that, (and here’s the real kicker) you can more clearly decide which marketing activities are the ones to focus on.

This may surprise you, but you’ll probably find you can cut out a lot of things you’re spending time on currently that aren’t really getting you anywhere, and focus more on those that really work for you.

It’s one of the reasons I’m hosting this free training to help you get crystal clear on your ideal client.

Because when you claim your expertise, you quickly clarify your ideal client, which leads to attracting more of the right kind of clients and making more money!

The time is now for creating a real shift, an up-leveling in your business.

With good energy,

P.S. Your ideal clients need what you have to offer. They’re waiting for you to show up. Join me for this Free Webinar and get the support you need to get clear and attract your ideal clients now. Get more details HERE

January 27, 2015

Me and Mom enjoying a Harbor Cruise on the San Diego Bay

Are you waiting for the abundance in your life to show up before you start living the life of your dreams? Do you find yourself saying “As soon as I have money I will _____?” “As soon as my business gets to certain point I will ____?”

I think we often equate abundance and prosperity to having a certain level of money to buy the trips and home and other material things we want in life. But when you really stop and think about it, is that really what abundance and prosperity mean to you?

Often when I talk to clients about this, what they’re really looking for is more time to spend with family, time to do the things that they want to do, the ability to explore new experiences, a certain level of freedom and independence and other kinds of feelings of well-being. When you distill it all down, it’s a certain lifestyle and the feelingsthat go along with it that we seek.

I’d like to prompt you to stop and think for a moment, what are some things you could be doing right now that would generate those feelings for you?

I know for me personally, being able to take the afternoon off to spend the day with my mom feels very luxurious to me. Or having lunch in the middle of the week with a friend. Or taking a yoga class in the middle of the day. Or taking off and going for a walk on the beach mid-week when there are no crowds. Or going camping in the middle of the week with my husband and having the campground to ourselves.

Don’t get me wrong, I know how easy it is to make excuses not to do these things. I can’t tell you how many times I have woke up in the morning and thought to myself “I should hop in the Jeep with Harley and go for a walk on the beach” and that thought was immediately replaced by “Oh, but I need to do this and that and the other thing. I don’t have time.”

Sound familiar?

You know what you are doing in the process? You are signaling to the universe that there isn’t enough time and that you don’t trust in your ability to co-create with the universe to get the things done that need to get done. You are, without realizing it, living from a place of scarcity; expressing that you need to “do” more in order to create more clients and more income.

One of my biggest aha moments I’ve had in awhile came yesterday and I know that it was because I gave myself some time and space to spend a fun day with my mom on Friday, on the San Diego Bay, in the salt air, with the breeze in my face and the seagulls squawking and the Pelican posing for his photo, with no agenda, just connecting.

Isn’t it moments like that you really seek?

I found myself relishing in the fact that we were able to do that midweek when it was quieter and fewer people. I felt extremely blessed. It felt very luxurious. And I found myself asking “Why do I not do this more often?”

If you truly want to create more abundance in your life, start where you are. Make a list of how you want your life to feel. What kinds of things does that include? My guess is it’s about more than just having things. It’s about having experiences. Yes, some of those do take money. But abundance is created by living in abundance where you are now. Not waiting until later.

Stop waiting to live the life you want to live. The sooner you start living the life you want to live now the sooner you will start feeling those feelings of abundance which then generate more prosperity in your life. Those feelings of being and feeling full and taken care of and nourished attract more of the same to you. If you are living from a place of scarcity of not enough time and money all you do is attract more of that!

We’ve just entered a Mercury Retrograde, which is a powerful time for going inward and reflecting. Give yourself the gift of time to connect with your spirit, in nature, meditating, journaling, or whatever else nurtures your spirit. Ask your spirit what is one small shift you can create in your life, right now, that would allow you to feel more abundant. Than, take action on it. Get it on your calendar. Today.

If you need support in connecting to your spirit, I’m available for both remote and in-person Reiki and Healing Touch energy sessions. Mention you saw this blog, and receive $10 off your session. Go HERE to schedule your session.

January 23, 2015

What’s your vision for 2015? You’ve probably set some intentions or resolutions or goals. But what’s your overriding theme for the year?

Last year, for the first time, I decided it would be fun to pick a single word as my theme for the entire year — something that would envelope all of my goals and intentions for myself both personally and professionally.

I settled on the word “expansion”. That felt really big to me and had a lot of energy behind it when I thought about it. I just “knew” that big changes were ahead of me.

WHEW! I couldn’t have been more on target! Last year really was a big year. I hosted my first global speaker summit, the largest and most growth-expanding project I’ve ever undertaken in my business.

Hosting a summit challenged my confidence in approaching well-known speakers and authors, my organization, my delegating (could have done better in that area, I’ll admit), my energy and stamina, my technology skills and my ability to maintain balance in my life (could’ve done better in that area as well, just ask my husband!), and SO MUCH MORE.

On a personal level, in great part due to the above, I grew exponentially as well. You just don’t take on a project of that magnitude without making some giant leaps internally.

The power of that kind of focus is immeasurable.

It gives you a quick and easy way to make decisions, even without having to go back and revisit your goals. If it doesn’t fit in with your theme, you just don’t give it much thought. You can immediately either back-burner or toss it.

That brings me to the next powerful tool that works hand in hand with having a theme – a Vision Board. I’m on my 4th or 5th Vision Board now I think. I keep perfecting the process and adding to it.

If you’re in the San Diego area, I’m excited to announce that due to popular demand, I’m leading another Vision Board playshop this month!

Now, this is not your run-of-the-mill Vision Board. Oh no. You’ll have fun not only with paint and images, but you’ll incorporate the emphasis of the Chinese New Year (which this year is the Ram) AND the power of Feng Shui AND you’ll experience a new self-discovery process to assist you in tapping into what really lights you up on that deep spiritual level.

The playshop is happening Saturday January 31st. I’m partnering with Inspire San Diego Studio who will be hosting the event. Their studio is a wonderful setting for this kind of soul-ful work.

I’ve had people tell me that they’ve done vision boards before but that “they weren’t like yours” and “you made the experience fresh”.

Here’s what a couple of past participants have had to say:

“Thanks. This is great for inspiration & creativity. Fun! Fun! Fun!” Sue H.

“Nice format. Loved the Chinese New Year info.”

“Wonderful!”

“Loved having the space to do this important visioning. Nice approach.” Nancy G.

Grab your seat now while you can as the studio has limited seating.

We’ll supply all of the materials including paint and poster and even the magazines, but feel free to bring any images that you’ve been collecting. I also suggest bringing a few personal photos of you, your family, etc. to include to put YOU in your vision board, but make sure they’re photos from a happy time that give you a warm fuzzy feeling when you look at them.

January 13, 2015

During my end of day review the other day I started to feel a little panic come over me. My week had progressively gone from full to overload. More new clients coming in (a good thing!) had thrown my “plan” for the week.

In reviewing all the things I had intended on doing I started to wonder how the heck I was going to work it all in.

What I “should have done” in the moment is taken a few minutes to detail out the action steps needed for two projects I’m working on and have an honest conversation with myself about what was left on my task list for the week. But I didn’t do that.

So what happened? I did it in my sleep – allllll night. My mind and subconscious went to work trying to sort it all out for me. (Thank you subconscious, I appreciate that!).

Ever happen to you?

When I woke the first thing on my agenda was to get all that down on paper. As soon as I did that I realized that I had a lot of the pieces already, I just needed to pull them together. Getting it down on paper though allows your mind to let go of the process and release the angst and panic around it all.

That end of day review is a powerful process, and a habit of mine, but you have to take it to the finish line. The whole idea is to review and track your progress andmake adjustments if needed.

Skip that step and you miss the whole point of the process which is to leave you at the end of the day at peace with where you are, and that allows your mind to let go so that you can sleep and wake restored.

When you don’t do that, whether you’re aware of it or not, your subconscious will try and sort through it all during the night and then instead of waking up feeling recharged and excited about your day, you wake up feeling like you need another 8 hours of sleep and a cup of coffee!

If you find yourself feeling overwhelmed it’s time to ask yourself some questions:

Did I take on too much this week?

Does everything on my list really need to be done, this week?

Is everything on my list in alignment with my goal for this month and the year in total?

Which item on my list is most powerfully going to move me forward towards my goal for the month?

In light of things that have come up this week, are there some things on my list that are now lower priority or, maybe not even important anymore? Would it make sense then for any of them to be postponed to a later date or removed entirely?

This daily habit of reviewing creates a clarity that is powerful, AND IS CRITICAL, in moving you forward towards manifesting what you want in your life.

It’s one of the many daily habits that I employ. It’s simple in its application and easy to do.

Daily habits like this are the very small, simple steps that create BIG momentum.

It’s one more of the things that I’ll be covering in my Conscious Plan-for-Success Virtual Retreat taking place this Thursday 1/15/15 from 1:00-5:00pm PST.

Enter the special coupon code “75off” and save over 75% on the registration fee. Why? Because I am on a mission to help you, a follower of my BLOG, to create a real shift in how you approach your goals and intentions for the year. And I want to help you do it now, at the beginning of the year, while you’re still fresh and excited about the year!

Make 2015 your best year yet!

With good energy,

P.S. Don’t procrastinate – grab your spot now before you forget! I promise, you’ll be so glad you did! Go HERE, now.

January 7, 2015

You know what’s occurred to me over the last couple of weeks? This annual planning and goal-setting stuff takes TIME! If you’re going to experience real results, and make it to the finish line, it requires being very intentional about the process. And that, my friend, takes time and a proven process.

This time of year energy and excitement and motivation are high. All you have to do is check out your local gym, and you’ll know what I mean. There are waiting lines to use the weight machines and you can’t get into your favorite yoga class.

Check back in a couple of months and it’s a whole different scene.

According to a research study by Scranton University, only 8% of people actually succeed in reaching their goals. After the first week, which is today, 25% have already given up.

That makes me very sad.

What happens to all of those great intentions and resolutions?

You know what I think? I think we make the process too darn hard on ourselves.

One of the key components to success is making the intention realistic, while still stretching you. I saw someone in my circle on FaceBook post that her new year resolution was that she was going to practice yoga every day. Now, if you already practice yoga, say, 4-5 days a week, then stretching it to daily, is expanding you but not out of reach. If on the other hand, you practice once a month or once a week, then to set the intention for daily practice is most likely setting yourself up for defeat and discouragement.

And yet, that’s what a lot of us do. That’s just setting the bar too high and what it does in the process is that it creates a level of tension that is just too much to bear.

Here’s what I mean by that. When you create an intention that is too far out of your current reality, it creates a level of discomfort that instead of being motivating, de-motivates you. Why? Because it scares you! At a deep level you’re afraid that you can’t live up to your own intention, the very one that you created!

You’re biologically wired to stay safe. Any time you undertake something that stretches you out of your comfort zone, you’re going to trigger that biological fear factor. It’s human nature and there isn’t anything you can do about that.

What you can do, however, is start slow and steady. When you create minor shifts that feel fairly easy to manage but still take some discipline because you haven’t been doing them that biological instinct doesn’t kick in, at least not to the degree that it’s paralyzing. It’s a way of tricking yourself, if you will, into taking action on big dreams, but in little steps that aren’t quite so scary, both on a conscious and an unconscious level.

There are a few other keys that I’ll be sharing over these next critical days.

All of this talk about resolutions and why so few are successful at them got me thinking. What could I do? As a member of my tribe, I want you to be one of the 8%!!!

So I’m doing something I’ve never done before. I’ve done lots of workshops and I’ve done retreats and I’ve done webinars. This time I’m going to conduct a virtual retreat. I’m calling it the Conscious Annual Success Planning Virtual Retreat. It’ll be virtual so you can join me from all over the world. All you’ll need is a phone or Skype, although if you can be at your computer, even better as I’ll have slides, as I usually do.

I wanna help you take a conscious approach to your planning this year. How about for once you plan your life more from a place of being in alignment with what gives you joy and with ease? When done correctly (in my humble opinion) there’s more work involved in the planning piece than the actual execution. In my experience, the easier you can make it for yourself to stick to your plan, the more likely you’ll succeed.

There are some techniques to doing that. That’s what I’ll share during the retreat.

Are you ready to roll up your sleeves and put into place a conscious plan to create success in 2015? Then reserve the time on your calendar, right now for next Thursday, 1/15/15 (oh wow, there’s gotta be something magical about that date, right?!) from 1:00-5:00pm PST. Go ahead, do it now, I’ll wait.

I’ll have the registration page and all the details for you in the next few days. As a member of my tribe this is going to be almost free. The fee will be so small, like, two or maybe three Java’s from your favorite coffee house, depending on whether you’re like me and like the fu-fu drinks. Hey, what can I say, I like a little coffee with my Hazelnut and foam!

The only reason I’m even charging anything at all is because, well, let’s be honest, you’re just maybe a little more likely to invest something of yourself in the process if you have a little skin in the game. But I promise it will not hurt your wallet.

If you’re excited about this idea (or if you think it’s the worse idea I’ve ever thought of) drop me a quick “YES!” or “Heck No!” comment below! I’d love to know how this is landing on the other side.

Check back soon! I’ll be posting it in the next couple of days.

With good energy,

P.S.P.S. Remember, next Thursday, 1/15 1:00-5:00 PST. It’s on your calendar, right? No? What are you waiting for? This is going to be the best planning session you’ve ever done. Did I mention that I’d be throwing in a little energetic healing to help remove any blocks? I didn’t? Oh, well, that’s the icing on the top then!

December 9, 2014

In my last couple of posts we’ve looked at two pieces of the equation to discovering your purpose in life and in your business: your life story and your interests.

One of the saddest things for me is seeing someone who’s taken the scary jump of going into business for themselves and yet they’re unhappy.

Perhaps they’ve created a business doing something they’re good at. Or maybe they hung their hat on some business opportunity that “sounded good” at the time. They may be quite successful by many standards; they’re making money, they have a full business and yet something’s missing.

That’s exactly what can happen when you align yourself with work you have no passion for.

What happens when you do that?

See if any of these sound like you:

You have a sense of emptiness inside that just won’t go away.

You find yourself procrastinating – a LOT.

You have this nagging sense that deep down you know your purpose, but it feels like it’s just beyond your grasp – kind of like when you’re searching for that word that’s just “on the tip your tongue” but it won’t come to you? Yeah, like that!

You don’t feel excited about your business like perhaps you once did.

You feel “pulled” to do something else, but you don’t know what.

Or maybe you have a sense of what your purpose is but it scares the crap out of you?!

Now some of these, by themselves, could be symptoms of some other things going on but more than likely, they’re not.

When you’re coming from a place of purpose and passion, you can’t not do the work. It feels like it’s a part of who you are at the cellular level. It’s why you’re here.

It’s that kind of passion and purpose that keeps you going when the going gets hard. And at some point it will feel hard. At some point in your business, you’re gonna have some rough patches and it’s then that the passion and purpose is so crucial because it’s what keeps you going. Without it, it’s so easy to give up!

That’s exactly what happened to me when I was in the technology field. I had spent close to a decade in the industry. I was really good at it. I made good money. I had built a successful business, but once the challenge of creating it was gone, I felt empty, hollow.

It felt like I was just doing it for the money and the lifestyle that money could buy and that left me feeling flat or dead inside.

After I got certified as a Reiki Master I didn’t have a clue what I was going to do with my new-found knowledge and training. I didn’t even know why at the time I felt drawn to become a Reiki Master. I just knew I had to do it. But the thought of starting a business with it at the time seemed unfathomable for me.

“What will people think?” I thought. “Reiki? What the heck is that?” I could hear them say. Some kind of “woo-woo”. I just couldn’t bear the thought of being ostracized.

And yet I knew on a deep level that it’s an integral part of what I am here to do.

But I ran the other way, for years.

But sooner or later, it catches up with you. Life has a way of pulling you back, sometimes through hardship, life transitions or just an emptiness that won’t leave you alone. Nothing, I mean nothing, can take that feeling away except following your calling.

As soon as I looked inside and reconnected with why I was here, what I was passionate about, that’s when things fell into place.

If any of this resonates with you, I invite you to join me in a training I’m doing on Thursday called Find Your Purpose in Business.

I’ll take you through a powerful process that has helped thousands of people find their purpose and passion.

You’ll discover:

How to quench that longing for fulfillment and sense of purpose, once and for all

The simple formula used by thousands to successfully “tap into” what it is your spirit is being pulled towards

The three must-have ingredients for true life-business satisfaction and joy

The 7 gateways to lasting business success

How to start 2015 with momentum and power

You’ll also receive a FREE Gift from me just for opting in – the Life Purpose Worksheet! This worksheet process will give you a powerful jump-start on our webinar training.

December 5, 2014

To pick up where we left off in my last post, in connecting with your life purposethere are three keys I find to be at the core of an individual’s true life satisfaction and fulfillment– that feeling of living your life purpose and what you are here to do and be.

You came into this world with a mission and purpose, a seed, although you may have forgotten what it was.

One key is the life challenges you’ve experienced. But sometimes you’re too close to what you’ve gone through in life to see where your life purpose lies in at all. It can feel like a random string of events, with no real thread.

Sometimes you have to take a back-door approach to get there.

Your life story, the challenges you’ve experienced, serve to not only remind you why you’re here, but to give you the tools to share in order to live your life purpose. And the best part is when you connect with that, your life and business can be a reflection of that in a way that feels soooo easy!

Your natural abilities are the second key. Your inborn way of dealing with the world may not seem all that unique to you, but someone else most likely would deal with the same set of life circumstances differently.

That’s when it’s helpful to have a mirror. Some way of reflecting back to you what it is that makes you different.

One place to start is with those closest to you. Depending on your relationships, your family can be a great first resource for you. Now, if that immediately brings up resistance or feelings of vulnerability, then move your thoughts to your closest friends or advocates. What do these people closest to you say about you? What do they compliment you on? What do they say “You’re so good at ______”. What do they all come to you for assistance with? What natural ability do you have that you’re the go-to person for?

Not sure? Ask them! Make a list of your closest family, friends and trusted advisors. Go ahead. Do that now. Then come back and we’ll pick up from there.

Got it? Okay. Now here’s what you do. Call them up or make a point of asking them next time you see them “Hey, I’m curious, what do you see as my natural skills or abilities? If you were talking to a friend about me how would you complete the statement ‘She/he is so good at ___________’? Are there certain abilities that you feel seem to come so easily for me but not other people you know?”

These mini-interviews can be the starting point in helping you to begin to connect the dots. They may or may not be the answers in themselves, but most likely, at the very least, will start to trigger a thought stream.

As you go through the process, record what you’re hearing without judgment or criticism. Try to keep an open mind. Remember, you’re looking for the common threads that tie it all together. The more open you can be to the information you’re receiving, the more insights will begin to come to you. Don’t get too caught up on all of the details. It might not be the actual skills or activities themselves, but some attribute about them.

After reading the above you may have thought to yourself, “Just because I’m good at something doesn’t mean I’m going to be successful at it, or that it feels like my life purpose.”

And you’re right! I’ve had more clients than I can count who fit that bill. They quit their job and started a business doing what they were good at as an employee and they’re miserable, with a capital “M”.

There’s one more key to the life purpose equation that we haven’t talked about yet. I’ll address that in the next email. So watch your inbox for the next installment!

What are your thoughts on all of this? What have you found to be the missing pieces for you in your life satisfaction? Have you found the perfect mix for you?I’d love to hear your thoughts! Please post your thoughts or questions below.

With good energy,

P.S. Have you been living with the question of your life purpose for so long that just the thought of it makes you cringe inside? I’m hosting a free training next Thursday at 1:00 PST where I’ll walk you through my powerful process of gaining clarity around your life purpose, once and for all!

So reserve the date and check back here for the announcement to grab your spot for this powerful free training!